Body transformation “before” and “after” photo’s are one of the best marketing tools ever created.

We’ve all seen them: A gloomy “before” picture showing a sorry looking guy or gal with a big ‘ol gut and “I hate my life” all but stamped across their forehead.

The “after” picture, however, displays the same, albeit barely recognizable, lean and sexy person with a fresh set of abs and – for some odd reason – tanning oil spread luxuriously over their [now hairless] body.

While most of us understand these photo’s don’t tell the whole truth, they’re still extraordinarily convincing and often push us to buy products or services promising the same incredible results in 30 days or less!

Granted, not all transformation photo’s are scams (hell,even I use them to display my clients’ success), but it’s important to maintain a critical eye and understand a vast majority of mainstream advertisements are flat out frauds.

To show you how easy it is to fake an incredible transformation, below I’ve posted two separate pictures – taken no more than 60 seconds apart – of myself in the bathroom of an Amtrak train.

Before: January 11th 2014, 1:25pm

I am le fat 🙁

After: January 11th 2014, 1:26pm

check out my bikini bridge, bro

How is this possible!?

In one picture I look like a fat mess while in the next I have a decently cut physique and a clear set of “penis lines” (i.e. hips) as my female friends like to call them.

Could it be the sideways hat?

Or maybe the infamous duck face?

Oh wait! It’s gotta be the dick grab!

Sorry to disappoint…but it’s none of the above.

While the sideways hat, duck face, and dick grab make the picture infinitely cooler (catch the sarcasm?), the answer to how my physique drastically changed in a matter of seconds lies in a variety of factors, such as:

My posture

How hard I press out my belly

The tightness and height of my pants

The angle of the camera in relation to my body

And more….

Crazy, right?

You’re probably wondering how I’m able to press my belly out so much.

To be honest…I have no idea.

My best friend, David, and I have been able to do it since we were kids and would frequently make a party trick out of it.

At one point I even askedEric Cresseywhy I can do it (you know, since he knows everything…ever) and he speculated that it has to do with abdominal musculature hypertrophy. The funny part, though, was Eric immediately pulled up his shirt, pressed his belly out and said “Look, I can do it, too!“

So what’s the takeaway?

Keep a critical eye and don’t believe everything you see. Remember, most supplements and products are scams. While most of us are always on the lookout for the next quick-fix, nothing beats a good diet, consistent training routine, and the patience to understand that progress takes time.

Never Minimal. Never Maximal. Always Optimal.

-J

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